Particle separator

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for separating particles, such as rough diamonds, having a high specific of gravity from a mixture such as gravel. The apparatus includes a plurality of stacked disks which are immersed in water. The disks have perforations therein, decreasing in size from the top disk to the bottom. The disk are cyclic rotated forwardly and backwardly and abruptly stopped between cycles so as to cause the lighter material to be thrown off the disk and the smaller particles to drop through to the lower disk. The disks are rotated at such a speed so that the heavier particles, such as the diamonds, collect in the bottom of the disk. Positioned on top of the disk is a perforated rotating inclined drum, wherein the gravel is placed in the upper end and the material smaller than a predetermined size drops therethrough onto the top disk. The larger particles, such as rocks exit through the lower end of the drum.

United States Patent [191 Culp [ PARTICLE SEPARATOR Barney L. Culp, Rt. 1, Box 207, Chester, SC.

22 Filed: Dec.28, 1970 211 Appl.No.: 101,806

[76] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl 209/44, 209/234, 209/270,

209/271, 209/274 [51] Int. Cl B03b 7/00 [58] Field of Search 209/44, 17, 18, 270,

3,061,095 10/1962 OMalley 209/12 2,399,280 4/1946 McDonell..... 209/315 2,056,190 10/1936 Horton 209/44 [451 July 17,1973

Primary Examiner-Frank W. Lutter Assistant Examiner-William Cuchlinski, Jr. Attorney-Bailey & Dority [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for separating particles, such as rough diamonds, having a high specific of gravity from a mixture such as gravel. The apparatus includes a plurality of stacked disks which are immersed in water. The disks have perforations therein, decreasing in size from the top disk to the bottom. The disk are cyclic rotated forwardly and backwardly and abruptly stopped between cycles so as to cause the lighter material to be thrown off the disk and the smaller particles to drop through to the lower disk. The disks are rotated at such a speed so that the heavier particles, such as the diamonds, collect in the bottom of the disk. Positioned on top of the disk is a perforated rotating inclined drum, wherein the gravel is placed in the upper end and the material smaller than a predetermined size drops therethrough onto the top disk. The larger particles, such as rocks exit through the lower end of the drum.

8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Patented July 17, 1973 3,746,164

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. BARNEY L. CULP ATTORNEYS Patented July 17, 1973 3,746,164

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. BARNEY L. CULP ATTORNEY-5' PARTICLE SEPARATOR This invention relates to an apparatus for separating heavy particles from a comingled mass of particles of various specific gravities, and more specifically to an apparatus for separating minerals having a high specific of gravity from mixtures, such as gravel, that they are natrually found in. I

One method of removing diamonds from the diamerferrous gravel taken from a claim, generally along or near a stream such as found in Central and South America, is by use of a sieve. Various sizes of sieves are used for separating the comingled mixture or gravel into groups of particles of various sizes. One problem in manually processing the gravel is that frequently the diamonds appearing in the laborers sieve will be stolen by the laborer. Due to the size of the diamond, the laborer can frequently throw the diamond discovered in his sieve off to the side and come back at a later time and locate it. It has also been known for laborers processing the gravel from the claim to swallow valuable diamonds and later reclaim them. As a result, an overseer can work very few laborers at any one time, since he must pay close attention to the sieving process.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which can rapidly process material, such as gravel, so as to separate the material into various sizes.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which can rapidly process a mixture, such as gravel, so as to separate minerals of a high density from the mixture.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide a substantially enclosed apparatus for separating articles, such as diamonds, having a high specific of gravity from a mixture of gravel or the like, so as to prevent theft of the diamonds during the process.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which is portable and can be carried to jungles and the like, for on location processing of diamond bearing gravel.

The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification, and by reference to the accompanying drawings fonning a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention for separating particles having a high specific of gravity from a mixture,

FIG. la is a fragmentary side elevational view showing one side of the apparatus,

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partially in section, illustrating the other side of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, illustrating one of the disk used in sieving the mixture, and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevational view illustrating a stack of disks enclosed within a housing which is broken away for clarity.

Referring in more detail to the drawings, there is illustrated an apparatus for separating material from a comingled mass containing various size particles into groups of predetermined sizes. The apparatus includes a drum A which is inclined from the horizontal. The drum has perforated holes in the wall thereof of a prederermined size. The ends of the drum are also open. Means is provided for feeding the comingled mass of material into a raised end of the drum A while the drum is rotating. Such causes the material, which is smaller than a predetermined size, to fall through the perforated holes in the wall of the drum. The larger particles or rock pass out the lower end of the drum. A plurality of disks B are carried under the drum in a vertical stack for receiving the material passing through the holes in the drum. The disks B are perforated with the top disk of the stack having a larger mesh than the bottom disk. Means C is provided for immersing the disks in water during the separation process. Means D is provided for oscillating the disk a predetermined distance. Means E is provided for abruptly stopping the disk between each cycle of oscillation so as to cause the lighter material to move off the disk while collecting the particles above a predetermined size on the disk and allowing the smaller particles to pass through the holes to the disk therebelow. Thus, the larger, heavier particles are collected on the top disk and the smaller, heavy particles collect on the bottom disk. Lightweight material, such as wood, grass, etc., flow off the disk into a surrounding housing. The fine granular sand which forms the major part of the mixture is allowed to pass through the perforation in the bottom disk to be discharged from the apparatus.

Referring in more detail to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated a frame constructed of elongated side angle members 10 which have slots 11 in the end thereof, so that the apparatus can be picked up. Cross-angle members 12 and 13, respectively, are provided for adding stability to the frame portion of the apparatus. Other suitable cross braces are provided between the elon gated members 10 for supporting various components thereon, but are not shown for purposes of clarity.

The drum A is supported at an angle to the horizontal so that when the material is fed into a chute 14 carried adjacent the upper open end of the drum the material will be inclined to pass downwardly through the drum and out the lower end 15 into a discharge chute 16 except for that which passes through the perforations or holes 17 in the wall of the drum. The upper end of the drum is supported on a pair of spaced rollers 18 which are carried on vertical angle members 19 and 20,- respectively. The upper end of vertical members 19 and 20 are joined by a horizontal angle member 21. An inclined angle member 22 extends from adjacent the bottom of the angle member 20 to the outer edge 23 of the chute 14 for supporting the chute. The chute is also supported by a pair of braces 24 which extend upwardly and outwardly from the angle members 19 and 20, respectively. The lower end of the drum is welded to the cross-bar 25 of a T-member 26. The lower end of the'T-member 26 is journalled within a bearing 27 which is suitably supported on a brace 28 carried between the cross-braces 12. The cross member 25 has its ends welded to the inner wall of the drum so that it does not unduly restrict the flow of large rocks and the like, from passing out the bottom of the drum onto the discharge chute 16. Since most of the diamonds found in granular soils are very small, veryfew are likely to pass through the drum and out the exit chute 16 as the drum is rotated and the material is fed therethrough. However, this material is also examined subsequently to make certain no diamonds or precious metal, depending on what is being processed by the apparatus, escapes the separation process. The drum is rotated by means of the pulley 29 carried on the shaft of the T- member 26. Passing around the pulley is a belt 30, which has its other end passing around a pulley 31, carried on the output shaft of a reduction gear 32. The input shaft 33 of the reduction gear has a large pulley 34 fixed thereto, which is driven by a belt 35. The other end of the belt 35 passes around a pulley 36 carried on the output shaft 37 of a gasoline motor 38. The gasoline motor, which includes a gas tank 39 and a conventional pull starter 40, provides all of the power for the apparatus.

The cover 38 which is constructed of sheet metal extends around the top of the drum A for preventing water being sprayed thereon from splashing. Carried along the bottom of the drum is a sheet metal elongated trough-type member 39 which has a funnel shaped portion 40 adjacent its lower end, which directs the material passing through the perforations in the drum into the center of the disk B. In order to cause the material, which is smaller than the perforations 17 in the drum A, to pass through the perforations water is sprayed from an elongated pipe 41 onto the top of the drum, as well as in the chute 14. This water is collected by the trough 39 and fed into the disk B. The water is supplied through a hose 42 which is coupled to the output of a centrifugal pump 43. The pump 43 has a pulley 44 coupled to an input shaft which is drivenby a belt 45 which wraps around a pulley 46 carried on fhe output shaft 37 of the gasoline motor 38. The centrifugal pump 43 has an inlet hose 47, which during operation, is placed in a stream or any suitable source of water, so that as the centrifugal pump is rotated it is sucked up into the pump and pumped through the pipe 42 and sprayed downwardly on the rotating drum A.

The disk shaped members B are constructed of stainless steel wire and the mesh of the wire extending from the top screen 48a to the bottom screen 48c decreases accordingly. For example, in separating gravel containing diamonds, the mesh of the top wire is one-fourth inch, the mesh of the middle disk 48b is one-eighth inch, and the mesh of the bottom disk is one-twelth inch. The perforations 17 in the drum A are sevensixteenths inch. Thus, as can be seen, the drum separates the larger particles from the comingled mass of material, while the progressively smaller particles collect on the screens 480 through 480.

The disk shaped members 480 and 48c are carried within a cylindrical sheet metal housing 49 which have elongated slots 50 around the periphery thereof, adjacent the'top of the screens 48b and 480. This is to permit lighter particles to be thrown or floated off of the screens to pass out of the cylindrical housing 49 encasing the disk. Larger access holes 51 are provided in the wall of the housing 49 for permitting the hand to be in serted therethrough to remove the particles collected on the particular screen. Cross rods 52 extend across the housing 49 for stabilizing the housing and the disks B. Extending upwardly from the cross rods 52 are angle braces 53 which have their upper end welded to a vertical shaft 54. The vertical shaft 54 extends upwardly through a pair of vertically spaced bearings 55 and is supported by a pin 56 extending through a hole in the upper portion of the shaft located above the upper bearing 55. Thus, the disks B are allowed to rotate freely within the bearings 55 on shaft 54. The bearings 55 are, in turn, supported by vertical angle members 57. Cross braces 58 and 59 are provided for stabilizing the vertical member 57. The other end of the cross braces 58 and 59 are connected to another vertical brace 60. Another pair of bearings 61 and 62 are mounted on the cross brace 59 through which a shaft 63 passes. Mounted on the upper end of shaft 63 is a sprocket 64 which is driven by a chain that extends around another sprocket 66 carried on the output shaft of the reduction gear 32. During operation the reduction gear causes the shaft 63 to rotate at approximately 25 revolutions per minute. Secured to the bottom of the shaft 63 is an arm 67. The arm 67 is provided for engaging a bearing 68 carried on one of the crossmembers 52. As the arm engages the bearing it causes the housing 49 in which the disks B are carried to rotate so that the outer periphery of the housing moves approximately 8 inches. After the housing 49 is rotated approximately 8 inches the arm 67 rolls off the bearing 68, allowing springs 69 to return the disks to their initial position. Since the shaft 63 is rotated at approximately 25 times per minute, the disks are oscillated back and forth the same number of times.

The springs 69 are attached by connectors 70 mounted on the side of the housing 49 between the housing 49 and the elongated frame members 10. The elongated frame members 19 have a hole drilled therein for accommodating the hooked portion 71 of the spring. The cylindrical housing 49 is, in turn, carried within another cylindrical housing 72 which is provided for trapping the water as it flows down from the drum A so as to immerse the disk screens 480 through 480 in water during the separating process. A hole 73a is provided in the bottom of the housing 72 for allowing the water and the line particles to pass through the screens to flow out of the housing. The hole, of course, is small enough so that the water can accumulate within the housing to immerse the disk. Means including stops 73, are carried on the inner wall of the housing 72 for abruptly stopping the disks 48a through 480 when they are returned to their initial position by the springs 69. The stops 73 include rubber pads which are mounted on the vertical angle members 74 secured to the inner wall of the housing. An abutment 75 taking the form of a vertical angle member is secured to the side wall of the housing 49 for engaging the rubber stops 73.

The upper edge of the housing 72 has an outwardly turned flange thereon so that any suitable clamps, such as C-clamps 72a, can be used to secure the housing 72 to the elongated supporting members 10. The details of the clamping members are not illustrated, since any suitable clamp can be provided for connecting the tank-shaped housing to the frame members.

in operation, the comingled mixture which may take the form of gravel mixed with rocks and the like, that contains the element which is desired to be separated therefrom, such as diamonds, is dumped into the chute 14 carried adjacent the upper end of the drum A. The drum-is being rotated so that the particles which are smaller than the perforation 17 in the drum are allowed to fall through the drum onto the trough 39 and discharge into the approximate center of the top disk 48a by the funnel member 40. Water is being supplied from any suitable stream or source by the centrifugal pump 43, through hose 42, and the spray pipe 41 to aid in forcing the small particles through the perforations in the drum. The water is allowed to collect within the housing 72 so as to immerse the disks 48a through 48c therein. The disks are being rotated by the arm 67 striking the bearing 68 approximately 8 inches along its periphery. As the arm 67 passes over the bearing 68 the spring 69 returns the disks to their initial position quickly. This quick movement of the disks causes the lighter material carried thereon to flow outwardly through the slots 50 in the side of the cylindrical housing 49 between the walls of the housings 49 and 72 and out the hole 73a in the bottom of the housing 72. The larger, heavier particles remain on the screen due to the gravitational pull.

When the springs return the disks back to their initial position between cycles the movement of the disks are abruptly stopped by engaging the stop members 73. This causes the material carried on the disks to jump and drop through the openings in the screen disks 48a through 48c. Those particles which are larger than the openings in the mesh will collect on the disks. After a given period of time the clamps used for fastening the housing to the frame are removed and the pin 56 is removed from shaft 54 so as to lower the disk. The operator then places his hand through the openings 51 to remove the heavy material collected thereon. While throughout the specification and claims reference is made to light and heavy material, such definition of heavy is a relative term and when mining diamonds the rough diamonds having a specific gravity of 3.6 are considered to be heavy as compared to the weight of gravel which has a specific gravity between 2.2 and 2.8.

The speed of rotation of the disks 48a and 48c should be adjusted so that the heavy objects which are desired to be separated are not thrown off of the disks 48a through 480 during the separating process.

As can be seen, all of the moving parts are driven by the gasoline motor 38. The gasoline motor drives a reduction gear 32 through belts which, in turn, rotates the drum A through belt 30 at a relatively slow speed. It also rotates the shaft 63 which causes the disks to be propelled a predetermined distance. The upper end of the drum rolls on rollers 18, while the lower end is supported by the cross member 26 which has its lower end supported in bearing 27.

It is difficult for an operator to steal from the apparatus while such is running due to the fact that the disks are enclosed within the housing 72,

Between the cyclic rotations of said disks B the vibration produced by the gasoline motor 38 aids in causing the particles to drop through the perforations in said disks B and drum A.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

I. An apparatus for separating material from a comingled mass containing various sizes of material into groups of predetermined sizes comprising: a drum inclined from the horizontal having holes in the wall thereof of a predetermined size said drum having open ends, means for feeding said comingled mass of material into a raised end of said drum while said drum is rotating causing material which is smaller than a predetermined size to fall through said holes in said wall of said drum and, allowing material above said predetermined size to pass out a lower end of said drum, a plurality of disks carried under said drum in a vertical stack for receiving said material passing through said holes in said drum, said disks being perforated with the top disk having a larger mesh than the bottom disks, means for immersing said disko in water while separating the material, means for cyclically rotating said disks a predetermined distance, and means for aburptly stopping said disks between each cycle of rotation so as to cause the lighter material to move off said disks while collecting the particles above a predetermined size on said disks and allowing the smaller particles to pass through said disks to the disks therebelow, whereby said mass of material is separated according to the size of the material.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said disks are concave so that as said disks are cyclically rotated the relatively small and lightweight particles are thrown off said disks while the heavier and larger particles collect adjacent the center and bottom of said disks.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said disks are carried on a common shaft, a wall surrounding said disks for preventing access to said disks, slots circumferentially spaced around said wall adjacent the periphery edges of said disks for allowing relatively lightweight particles to pass from said disks to the other side of said wall.

4. An apparatus for separating material according to size and weight comprising: a vertical shaft, a plurality of stacked disks carried by said vertical shaft, said disks being concave and perforated with the size of the perforations decreasing from the top disk in said stack to said bottom disk, a housing enclosing said disks, means supplying water to said housing for immersing said disks therein, means for cyclically rotating said disks to and fro a predetermined distance, means for abruptly stopping the movement of said disks between each cycle for causing particles of said material carried on a disk which are smaller than the perforations of that particular disk to jump and drop through the perforations to the disk therebelow in the stack, and means for supplying water to said housing for immersing said disks so that as said disks are cyclically rotated and lighter material on said disk tends to be thrown off said disk while said heavier material sinks to the center of said disk, whereby material larger than the perforations of a particular disk collect on that disk while material smaller than the perforations drops through the disk to the disk therebelow.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, further comprising a disks support means a pair of opposed abutments carried by said disks support means and wherein said means for abruptly stopping the movement of said disks includes a pair of opposed stops carried by said housing which are engaged by said abutments to abruptly stop said disks between cycles.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said means for cyclically rotating said disks includes; a gasoline powered motor having a rotating output shaft, an arm carried on said output shaft engaging said disks for rotating said disks a predetermined distance in one direction, and spring means engaging said disks for returning said disks to their initial position after being rotated in said one direction by said arm.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4 further comprising:

a perforated drum, included from the horizontal, ro-

tatably carried above said disks, said drum having open ends so that as said material is placed in a raised end of said rotating drum that portion of said material smaller than the perforations therein falls through said perforations onto said top disk and the remainder of said material drops out the lower end of said drum.

8. An apparatus for separating particles having a high specific of gravity such as diamonds from a comingled mixture of granular material having various specifics of gravities comprising:

a plurality of vertically stacked disks, said disks being concave and perforated with the size of the perforations decreasing from the top disk in said stack to said bottom disk, means for placing said granular material from which said particles having a high perforations to the disk therebelow. 

1. An apparatus for separating material from a comingled mass containing various sizes of material into groups of predetermined sizes comprising: a drum inclined from the horizontal having holes in the wall thereof of a predetermined size said drum having open ends, means for feeding said comingled mass of material into a raised end of said drum while said drum is rotating causing material which is smaller than a predetermined size to fall through said holes in said wall of said drum and, allowing material above said predetermined size to pass out a lower end of said drum, a plurality of disks carried under said drum in a vertical stack for receiving said material passing through said holes in said drum, said disks being perforated with the top disk having a larger mesh than the bottom disks, means for immersing said disko in water while separating the material, means for cyclically rotating said disks a predetermined distance, and means for aburptly stopping said disks between each cycle of rotation so as to cause the lighter material to move off said disks while collecting the particles above a predetermined size on said disks and allowing the smaller particles to pass through said disks to the disks therebelow, whereby said mass of material is separated accOrding to the size of the material.
 2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said disks are concave so that as said disks are cyclically rotated the relatively small and lightweight particles are thrown off said disks while the heavier and larger particles collect adjacent the center and bottom of said disks.
 3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said disks are carried on a common shaft, a wall surrounding said disks for preventing access to said disks, slots circumferentially spaced around said wall adjacent the periphery edges of said disks for allowing relatively lightweight particles to pass from said disks to the other side of said wall.
 4. An apparatus for separating material according to size and weight comprising: a vertical shaft, a plurality of stacked disks carried by said vertical shaft, said disks being concave and perforated with the size of the perforations decreasing from the top disk in said stack to said bottom disk, a housing enclosing said disks, means supplying water to said housing for immersing said disks therein, means for cyclically rotating said disks to and fro a predetermined distance, means for abruptly stopping the movement of said disks between each cycle for causing particles of said material carried on a disk which are smaller than the perforations of that particular disk to jump and drop through the perforations to the disk therebelow in the stack, and means for supplying water to said housing for immersing said disks so that as said disks are cyclically rotated and lighter material on said disk tends to be thrown off said disk while said heavier material sinks to the center of said disk, whereby material larger than the perforations of a particular disk collect on that disk while material smaller than the perforations drops through the disk to the disk therebelow.
 5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, further comprising a disks support means a pair of opposed abutments carried by said disks support means and wherein said means for abruptly stopping the movement of said disks includes a pair of opposed stops carried by said housing which are engaged by said abutments to abruptly stop said disks between cycles.
 6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said means for cyclically rotating said disks includes; a gasoline powered motor having a rotating output shaft, an arm carried on said output shaft engaging said disks for rotating said disks a predetermined distance in one direction, and spring means engaging said disks for returning said disks to their initial position after being rotated in said one direction by said arm.
 7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4 further comprising: a perforated drum, included from the horizontal, rotatably carried above said disks, said drum having open ends so that as said material is placed in a raised end of said rotating drum that portion of said material smaller than the perforations therein falls through said perforations onto said top disk and the remainder of said material drops out the lower end of said drum.
 8. An apparatus for separating particles having a high specific of gravity such as diamonds from a comingled mixture of granular material having various specifics of gravities comprising: a plurality of vertically stacked disks, said disks being concave and perforated with the size of the perforations decreasing from the top disk in said stack to said bottom disk, means for placing said granular material from which said particles having a high specific of gravity are mixed on said top disk, means for immersing said disks in water, means for cyclically rotating said disks a predetermined number of degrees and returning said disks rapidly so as to caus some of the lighter particles immersed in said water on a disks to move radially off said disks while allowing the particles having a high specific of gravity to collect in the bottom of said concave disks, and means for abruptly stopping said disks between cycles so as to cause said particLes that are smaller than said perforations to pass through said perforations to the disk therebelow. 